Venice Beach is back and worth the trip

By Don Mankin
Posted on September 30, 2021

Frank Lloyd Wright once wrote, “Tip the world over on its side, and everything loose will land in Los Angeles.” I would add: Tip Los Angeles on its side, and everything loose will land in Venice Beach. I’ve lived in Venice Beach for almost 40 years (most recently in a house just two blocks from the ocean and boardwalk), and have witnessed many changes over the years — from... READ MORE

Explore Turks and Caicos Islands, reefs

By Diane York
Posted on September 16, 2021

In the Turks and Caicos Islands, the sun starts out mellow and low, but by mid-morning it’s a slashing bright blanket of heat. Everything on these Caribbean islands is intense: the bougainvillea blooms in vivid shades of purple, pink, red and orange, while the plumeria tree is covered in fragrant yellow blooms. The sky is a true blue you only see when the air is pure and... READ MORE

Beware low-fare airlines’ schedule cuts

By Ed Perkins
Posted on September 13, 2021

When you’re packing for a summer or fall air trip, don’t forget one item that might not be on your regular packing list: Plan B. That’s because for at least the rest of the year, some airlines are cutting recently restored or newly added schedules, often with little advance notice. If you’re flying on a heavily traveled route — Chicago to New York, for example or Los Angeles ... READ MORE

How to prepare and pack for COVID travel

By Sally French
Posted on September 03, 2021

Here are some key travel planning and packing tips to help you navigate the new normal ahead of your next — and maybe first — COVID-19-era trip. Bring proof of your vaccination status International travelers will almost certainly need proof of vaccination as more countries require it and/or a negative COVID-19 test result to enter or avoid quarantine restrictions. But... READ MORE

Three sites memorialize September 11th

By Glenda C. Booth
Posted on September 01, 2021

Scuffed shoes, a crumpled purse, a charred flashlight. These are a few of the 70,000 artifacts at New York City’s 9/11 Memorial and Museum. A woman phoned her sister to say that her will was in the closet in a recorded conversation now preserved at the 9/11 Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. And the names of a 3-year-old and a 71-year-old are among those inscribed on a ... READ MORE

Some unique attractions close to home

By Victor Block
Posted on August 11, 2021

While the Statue of Liberty stands as America’s most famous symbol, our country’s character can also be found in its quirky roadside monuments: the world’s largest ball of twine, a corn palace, giant dinosaur statues, and buildings that resemble shoes, bugs or coffee pots. For your next day trip, consider a few overlooked destinations in our region: giant floats that have appeared... READ MORE

Travel getting back to normal — slowly

By Ed Perkins
Posted on August 04, 2021

Yes, the U.S. travel scene is back to normal — or at least some semblance of pre-COVID. But if you plan to travel the rest of the summer or this fall, you can expect some substantial differences — changes and gotchas for which you have to prepare. The great slowdown First of all, just about everything you want to do will take more time getting there, doing what you want to do, and... READ MORE

In search of the Underground Railroad

By Glenda C. Booth
Posted on August 02, 2021

Maryland’s most famous heroine, Harriet Tubman, was born enslaved in Dorchester County around 1822. She was rented out at age six by her owner, but at age 27 escaped to Pennsylvania. After her escape, Tubman became a highly effective “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, making 13 trips back to her home area to guide 70 people to freedom. “I never ran my train off the... READ MORE

Many wows await Yosemite Park visitors

By Victor Block
Posted on July 15, 2021

Following the hairpin-curvy road that snakes through Yosemite National Park, every turn elicited another “wow” moment. It was challenging to decide which view was best: dramatic overlooks across deep gorges, soaring mountains or some of the highest waterfalls in the country? Suddenly, I found the answer. I spotted several people pointing binoculars at a cliff rising straight up from... READ MORE

Go to unwind on Virginia’s Eastern Shore

By Glenda C. Booth
Posted on July 08, 2021

With two national wildlife refuges, a national seashore, one state park and three state wildlife management areas, Virginia’s Eastern Shore is “nature untamed,” wrote local author Kirk Mariner. The state’s Eastern Shore stretches 70 miles from Maryland to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. It is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the east (“seaside”) and the Chesapeake Bay... READ MORE